This index contains the records of over two million passengers who arrived in Victoria between 1839 and 1923.

Passenger lists vary widely in size, length, and level of detail, as there was no standardised format. Some record only a minimum of information about the passengers, while others are quite detailed.

Note that some passengers were listed only under their surnames, or their first name initials, or as part of a family group (for example, ‘Mr Jones and family’). Also, women, children, servants and passengers who travelled in steerage were sometimes not recorded on passenger lists.

Assisted passengers
Assisted passengers or migrants were those who migrated under sponsorship schemes, meaning their voyage was subsidised either fully or partially by the colonial government.

Unassisted passengers
Unassisted passengers or migrants were those who paid their own fare or were privately sponsored. Prior to 1852, it was not required for the names of unassisted passengers to be recorded, making it difficult to assess how complete the existing passenger lists are.